Weather Forecast

Board continues superintendent search

The Pequot Lakes School Board decided at its regular meeting Monday night, March 18, that it will interview a handful of superintendent candidates in a second round of interviews March 25.

The posting for the superintendent position closed Monday, March 18, and some applications arrived that same day. Board members hadn’t thoroughly looked through all the applications, so they did not determine at the meeting which candidates they would interview.

The March 25 interviews will be for new candidates, not for finalists. Finalist interviews will be held April 8.

Candidates’ names are confidential until they accept an interview with the board.

Board members said after the meeting March 18 that the first round of interviews, which was March 14, went well.

“We’ve got some strong candidates,” said board chair Valarie Wallin. “We want to wait to complete the next round of interviews before we make any decisions.”

Board member Mike Erholtz said there were a number of qualified candidates.

“The interviews were thorough. We had time for candidate feedback and board interaction,” he said.

• Heard a construction update. The walking track is structurally complete in the new gym, and preparations have begun for the maple flooring. ICS Consulting representative Tim Robertson said the project is on budget and on schedule.

• Heard from high school principal Chip Rankin that the school was accepted as a member of a program called Ramp Up for Readiness. The program is a grade 6-12 guidance program to prepare students for post-secondary education. Rankin said the school’s goal is for 100 percent of students to apply to and accept post-secondary education

• Heard from Eagle View Elementary School principal Dave Endicott that fourth-graders recently took a field trip to the Science Museum of Minnesota and state capitol building. Endicott said numerous individuals commented on how well behaved all the students were.

• Approved the resignations of Nichole Ellevold and Crystal Swenson, paraprofessionals. The board approved the hiring of Kenna Grater, paraprofessional.

I've worked at the Brainerd Dispatch with various duties since Dec. 7, 1983. Starting off as an Ad Designer and currently Director of Audience Development. The Dispatch has been an interesting and challenging place to work. I'm fortunate to have made many friends, both co-workers and customers.